May 24, 2010
ARLINGTON, VA — May 24, 2010 — The Las Vegas Three Square Food Bank received 37-thousand pounds of food donated by exhibitors from FMI 2010 held in Las Vegas, NV, May 10 to13.
The donation equals roughly 29,600 meals, including milk, bread, produce, cereal, luncheon meats, cheese and other items to help feed area residents who are living on the brink of hunger, according to Feeding America. The Three Square Food Bank is part of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.

FMI 2010 — one of the largest food trade events in the world — was held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. More than 2 million pounds of food have been donated to food banks since 1996, when the trade event donation program began with Feeding America. FMI has been an active partner with Feeding America since the food bank network was founded in 1979.   

“The partnership between Feeding America and FMI is critically important,” said Vicki Escarra, President and CEO of Feeding America. “Their continual assistance in helping food banks receive more donations of food from FMI members as well as events including FMI 2010 is making an incredible difference in the lives of millions of families across the country.”

“Suppliers and retailers are eager to support the hunger relief effort in Las Vegas from our exhibits at FMI 2010,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, FMI president and chief executive officer. “We are proud of the supermarket industry’s long history of supporting local food banks through Feeding America and other organizations across the country. In fact, Feeding America’s research found that 95 percent of supermarkets donate to food banks — through cash, food and in-kind services.”

America's Second Harvest — The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through its network of more than 200 member food banks, America's Second Harvest annually provides assistance to more than 25 million people in need, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each year, America's Second Harvest secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of food and grocery products to support feeding programs at approximately 63,000 local charitable agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. To learn more, please visit www.secondharvest.org.